'We can't accommodate you' - Farage rolls out immigration policy

Immigration policy in the UK should mimic the Australian-style points system, UKIP leader Nigel Farage told radio listeners on Monday, providing early insight into the party’s 2015 manifesto.

Immigration policy in the UK should mimic the Australian-style
points system, UKIP leader Nigel Farage told radio listeners on
Monday, providing early insight into the party’s 2015 manifesto.

In Australia, migrants are required to answer questions about
their skills, for which they are awarded points. At least 65
points are required for visa requests to win acceptance.

The policy also states visa applicants must be under the age of
45, in good health and with no criminal record before they are
able to move to the country.

Calling it the “only sensible policy,” Farage told LBC
interviewer Duncan Barkes: “I can give you a leak tonight of
what will be in the UKIP manifesto next year and it will be we
must have a sensible immigration policy based on Australia.

“The Aussies have a point system and they say to come to
Australia you must be under 45 years of age, you must have a
skill or a trade that will bring a benefit to our country.

“They say if you have a life threatening disease, I'm sorry
but we can't accommodate you. They say if you have a serious
criminal record we won’t have you, which if you think about it is
quite funny really, given their background,” he quipped,
citing the county’s history as a British prison colony.

Farage stressed the policy was not racist, instead arguing the
same model ought to be implemented in the UK to address concerns
over integration.

“We no longer choose the numbers of people that come to
Britain or the quality of people that come to Britain,” he
said.

“What they also say is we don’t care whether you’re black or
white or yellow or what your religion is, but if you come to our
country and you come here to take citizenship you become part of
us and you become part of our Australian dream, namely the
integrationist message. That is exactly what we should be
doing.”

Farage also said he is likely to stand in the next general
election as a member for Kent. He will formally announce his
plans in the next fortnight.